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Dear Mom A Sniper's Vietnam
yoshmyster
Member Posts: 21,033 ✭✭✭✭
New book to me. I was watching something on youtube a while back about Chuck Mawhinney and somewhere he was outed about his 103 confirmed kill in this book. So I ordered the book and it came in today. So far it's kind a boring how Joe is going through basic. Writing short letters home and such.
Comments
quote:Originally posted by 84Bravo1
Uhh, "Confirmed Kills," are Confirmed Kills. How do you get outed on that?
Regretfully, those were different times and confirming was not the same as they are conducted or documented today. I was "shorted" approximately 1/3rd of mine by various circumstances. [;)]
But you were credited with the ones that were confirmed... Right?
This is according to Wikipedia:
Charles Benjamin "Chuck" Mawhinney is a former United States Marine who holds the Corps' record for the most confirmed sniper kills, having recorded 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills in 16 months during the Vietnam War.
Author Unknown.
War is hell. Anyone who experiences it especially the horrors of certain war. Vietnam being a example of a challenge for US soldiers facing enemies, many who desquised as civilians were killing them.
For a Vietnam sniper the decisions when the enemy could be a child or women are dificult. The choice of being a life taker in these situations go against natural and learned moral codes. The reality is that like all decisions and choice in life. Mistakes are made. Since we are only human. We move on. Forget the past. Live in the moment.
When the book Dear Mom came out Chuck was living a quiet life in Oregon doing forestry work. From what I saw Chuck didn't talk about his time in Vietnam so no one knew about his sniping. So when the book came out he got "famous" weather he wanted it or not.
I got to spend a week in a fire camp with Chuck in the early 90's when we both worked for the Forest Circus. Very nice guy and I had no idea who he was or any of his accomplishments until a couple years later when I saw a documentary on snipers.
quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
When the book Dear Mom came out Chuck was living a quiet life in Oregon doing forestry work. From what I saw Chuck didn't talk about his time in Vietnam so no one knew about his sniping. So when the book came out he got "famous" weather he wanted it or not.
I got to spend a week in a fire camp with Chuck in the early 90's when we both worked for the Forest Circus. Very nice guy and I had no idea who he was or any of his accomplishments until a couple years later when I saw a documentary on snipers.
My experience with those that have "been there, done that," is that they do not talk about it much. Nothing to prove to anyone. They have proved it to themselves before. No need to talk themselves up to others.
quote:Originally posted by NeoBlackdog
quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
When the book Dear Mom came out Chuck was living a quiet life in Oregon doing forestry work. From what I saw Chuck didn't talk about his time in Vietnam so no one knew about his sniping. So when the book came out he got "famous" weather he wanted it or not.
I got to spend a week in a fire camp with Chuck in the early 90's when we both worked for the Forest Circus. Very nice guy and I had no idea who he was or any of his accomplishments until a couple years later when I saw a documentary on snipers.
My experience with those that have "been there, done that," is that they do not talk about it much. Nothing to prove to anyone. They have proved it to themselves before. No need to talk themselves up to others.
Yep, a lion does not have to tell everyone that he is a lion.
16 shots 16 kills dude looking older.